by Emmitt Barry, with reporting from Washington D.C. Bureau Staff
WASHINGTON D.C. (Worthy News) – U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has ordered the Navy to review recent remarks by Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) after the retired Navy captain appeared in a video urging service members to “refuse illegal orders,” a message the Trump administration has denounced as dangerous and politically motivated.
Navy Secretary John Phelan must brief Hegseth on the results of the review by Dec. 10, according to a referral issued Nov. 25.
Kelly–a former combat pilot and NASA astronaut–is also under a broader Pentagon investigation stemming from a Nov. 18 video in which he and five other Democratic lawmakers asserted that U.S. troops “can” and “must” refuse unlawful commands. The lawmakers did not identify any specific order.
Hegseth blasted the video as a “politically motivated influence operation,” arguing the message created “ambiguity rather than clarity” and risked undermining the chain of command.
“The military already has clear procedures for handling unlawful orders,” Hegseth said. “It does not need political actors injecting doubt.”
Kelly responded Monday, insisting he would not be intimidated. “I’ve given too much to this country to be silenced by bullies who care more about their own power than protecting the Constitution,” he said.
The video was released shortly after President Donald Trump confirmed a U.S. strike on a suspected drug-running vessel in the Caribbean. Trump later accused the lawmakers of sedition, noting the crime is “punishable by death.”
The FBI has contacted the lawmakers to schedule interviews, and the House and Senate Sergeants at Arms have alerted Democratic members to the investigation. Rep. Chrissy Houlahan (D-Pa.) accused Trump of “using the FBI as a tool to intimidate Congress.”
Reactions split sharply along partisan lines. Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) called Kelly a “patriot,” while retired Air Force officer Buzz Patterson denounced the lawmakers for “undercutting the command of President Trump” and warned their actions could put troops at risk.
The Navy’s review is expected to examine whether Kelly’s comments, made as a retired officer, violate military law or norms governing former service members.
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
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